Promises
by Apples Who Dance With Oranges
Summary: With the war coming to an end, a Clone Trooper realizes that he no longer wishes to fight. With knowledge of a well guarded bank being held within enemy territory he decides that he must put together a team of clones who share his same desire and rob it before Republic forces reach it. If he can just complete this last mission, he'll be able to buy himself a nice peaceful life.


**Chapter One.**

 _19.1 BBY_

 _Zarra (Capital Bridge City)_

Cato Neimoidia, Colonies

"This is Recon Two calling for emergency evac," Relay cried out loudly into his comlink as the battle harden clone trooper did his best to avoid the incoming barrage of red blaster bolts that rained all around him. Garbed with the armor of an Advance Recon Force (ARF) trooper which was camouflaged with the gray digital urban design his mission was simple, partake in a recon mission into the Separatists held territory within the city and report back of their defensives. However, due to complications and a heavier patrol force than expected Relay and his team had been spotted.

"Recon Two? Where is Recon One?" The voice buzzed loudly from the other side of his comlink.

Relay grunted lowly in frustration as he'd rather their Mission Advisor didn't ask so many questions, "Dead! Clanker tank got Recon One, along with that Recon Four and Five are also dead!"

"Krif," The Advisor swore lowly under his breath, "Evac will be at the secondary location since it's the closets!"

"Roger, roger!" Tag called out in a loud snicker as the other ARF trooper was trailing a few feet behind Relay. While Relay held the call sign Recon One for mission purposes, Tag was known as Recon Three and was part of his five man recon team. However, due to their early detection within their mission they had lost Recon One their acting squad leader to tank fire, Recon Four and Five fell prey to the fire fight that occurred shortly after.

Relay quickly spun around and with his DC-15S tightly within his grasp he unleashed a wave of blaster bolts at the advancing droids, his blind fire taking out several before he retreated into a near by alleyway. Tag followed suit with several well placed blaster shots from his DC-15A before joining Relay within the alleyway, "So the secondary location is the park, right?"

Relay sighed heavily, "No it's the landing pad near the bank."

"That's why you're Recon Two and I'm not," Tag laughed loudly as the two quickly ducked within a near by building and slowly started to make their way towards their destination. Relay and Tag were both Kamino brothers, both part of the same training squad and the only remaining members of their original recon team. Throughout the war, as each member of their original squad was lost they gained a new one and it wasn't until long before the two of them were seen as part of the old generation of ARF troopers. With recon teams consisting of only five troopers and the possibility of contact high, many skilled ARF troopers were lost prematurely and suicide missions for intel became more common.

"You're not Recon Two because you spend more time examining your toes than you do listening in the briefings," Relay chuckled softly as it was a known fact that between the two Relay was the focused one and Tag got easily sidetracked.

Tag snickered lowly at Relay's comment, "I need to make sure my feet are in prime condition. A good ARF trooper is nothing without his feet."

The two slowly made their way across the main street from the bank, a platoon of battle droids and a tank located right outside it for extra protection on Gunray's public _affairs._ The two ARF troopers carefully made their way up onto the roof of a near by building, their overview allowing them to see all incoming forces and the landing pad in which they'd be evacuated at. Tag grinned at the sight of the bank, "You think Gunray actually keeps his money in that bank?"

Relay forcefully shook his head, "Maybe just his public accounts. He's far to rich and greedy to let all his money sit out in the open like that."

"Wouldn't mind getting a piece of whatever they got in there," Tag chuckled softly as the two slowly slid down a collapsed pillar and into the holding yard of the landing pad.

"What would a couple of clones do with that much credits?" Relay sighed lowly as they disappeared behind a pile of rubble.

Tag sighed heavily, "Get out of his damn army."

Relay simply laughed at Tag's comment as the ARF trooper made it a daily ritual to complain about their military life and how after the war they'd become glorified military police officers. Patrolling back wash planets for months on end, only source of combat would be the occasional pirate and smuggler who would rather go down in a hail of blaster fire. Tag groaned loudly, "I'm serious this time."

"You're talking about stealing credits and going AWOL," Relay spat out as he could tell when Tag was serious and this was one of those moments he was hopping the ARF trooper was simply pulling his leg.

"Is it really AWOL if we're bred to do this our whole lives without a choice?" Tag growled annoyingly as he violently threw his blaster onto the ground and sat up, "I mean we've given the Republic every day of our lives. When will they finally say that it's enough and let us-"

Tag never finished his sentence.

A blur of red light cut through the air and sliced right through his upper right shoulder. The blaster bolt burning right through his armor and burring itself deep within his shoulder, the force of the shot causing him to stumble back a few steps before dropping onto his back. Relay watched in horror at this sight as he watched his last remaining Kamino brother and last member of his original team drop to the ground. His grip tightening on his blaster as he quickly stood up, his eyes locking upon a group of B1 Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids (SBD) approaching their position.

"Tag are you alright?" Relay cried out as he unleashed a horde of blaster bolts at the incoming droids. His blaster fire ripping apart the droid who had taken the shot, while his other bolts took down a SBD who collapsed backwards on top of the other droids who were attempting to climb the stairs that led to the landing pad.

Tag coughed violently, "Just great... R-Relay."

"Where's our evac?" Relay cried loudly into his comlink hoping their mission advisor wouldn't dance around the question like he usually did.

"On my way kid!" A voice echoed loudly as Relay quickly recognized the voice of, Lieutenant Jay. The Clone Pilot had been their main pilot for evacuations for the past year after their last three were shot down while trying to pick them up, but ever since the switch to Jay and his crew they had never had to wait an extra minute for him. However, this time was different and even with Jay on time Relay was worried that he wouldn't get to them in time.

"Ta- I mean Recon Three is hit!" Relay cried out as he knew he wasn't allowed to compromise a recon mission by using their nicknames as the higher ups feared the Separatists could tap into their channels due to them being within enemy territory and use whatever names they got against them. Relay thought it was stupid as he didn't know what any Separatists leader would do with a few clone names, but he followed the rule regardless of his personal feeling.

"Maybe they'll teach him to keep his loud mouth shut!" Jay laughed loudly as Relay knew he was making a joke to lighten up the mood.

Tag chuckled weakly as he pulled off his shoulder armor, exposing his blaster wound. The burning hole left a gapping wound that covered his upper right shoulder and part of his lower neck. The burning sensation felt as if it was traveling through every vain in his body, "Jay I wouldn't mind if you got that damn lard of your's here faster."

"I'll be there right away buddy," Jay stated in a low voice as even over the comlink he could hear the fear within Tag's voice.

Relay quickly took out the last droid and dropped at Tag's side, he knew more droids would arrive at any minuet and he needed to try and patch Tag up as soon as possible. Fumbling through his utility belt with one hand he pulled out a small tube of bacta and ripped off Tag's helmet with the other hand. Tag face resembled Relay's face, but unlike him he kept the standard clone haircut and grew a poorly maintained goatee. Squeezing the bacta out of the tube he quickly applied it onto Tag's blaster wound, a low groan of pain escaping Tag's lips.

"You're gonna be just fine brother," Relay repeated two more times as he patted Tag on the left arm nervously.

"You're a good brother, but you can't lie to me." Tag stated weakly as he playfully pushed Relay away.

Relay gulped lowly, "You'll be fine I promise you!"

Silenced engulfed the two as Relay slowly pulled off his helmet, his pain filled eyes glaring down at Tag. Relay's hair was longer and slicked back giving him a more unique look compared to most clones, a noticeable scar was located below his left ear and down his neck. A battle wound he got pushing Tag out of the way of an explosion their first skirmish, the action saved Tag's life and Relay received a nice cut from a two inch chunk of shrapnel.

"Don't make promises you can't keep. How about you promise me you'll get out of their army before it east you alive," Tag muttered lowly as he clasped Relay's hand tightly within his grasp.

Relay hated seeing his closets brother like this, it was something that was killing him right now. Relay felt sorrow when they lost the other three members of the team today, but it was different loosing Tag compared to loosing a newly assigned Sergeant and two replacements. Loosing Tag was almost like loosing a part of himself, "Lets do it."

Tag raised an eyebrow at Relay curiously.

"Lets rob that bank! Intel told us that all banks and all of Gunray's private vaults had been cleared out by the Neimoidian Gunnery Battalion but they wouldn't have droids guarding it if there wasn't still something in it!" Relay explained as deep down he knew he was only saying all of this in hopes that it would trick his mind into forgetting the fact that Tag might not make it through this one. Relay just wanted to believe that he wouldn't be the last surviving member of his Kamino squad, "Intel doesn't know about this bank! We rob it and leave this damn planet, leave the army behind!"

"I forget how pumped you get when you set your mind on something," Tag chuckled lowly before speaking up again, "Thanks for always having my back when it came to my crazy ideas. I think I can rest easy now."

"Tag!" Relay cried out as he could feel Tag's grip on his hand became weaker.

Tag allowed one last thing to escape his lips, "Thanks for being my brother."

 _Silence._

"Damn you all!" Relay cried out in horror as he quickly grabbed both blasters and shot up onto his feet. The next wave of droids now in view as he unleashed a hail storm of blaster bolts upon them, the memories of their days of Kamino and out in the field suddenly came flooding back into his mind. Droid after droid fell to his blaster fire, their lifeless bodies pilling up on the entryway stairs thus creating a temporary wall of destroyed droids.

 _Click._

 _Click._

Both blasters had gone dry of ammo and Relay was out of motivation to even attempt to search for more. Dropping to his knees he watched as two SBD's pushed aside the bodies of their fallen comrades so they could advance. His eyes watering as he envied the droids, the fact they had no emotions and the fact they could so easily push aside their fallen comrades. His eyes watched as a droid lifted up its blaster and as he awaited for his death, he was barely moved when he waved a fierce explosion engulf the droids.

It was as if he wanted to die.

"I'm here!" Jay's voice roared loudly over the comlink.

Relay didn't move though.

"Get on!" A trooper called out as four of them raced forward firing at the incoming droids with their blasters. One roughly grabbed onto Relay and started to drag him towards the open bay of the LAAT, his eyes plastered on Tag's lifeless body. He watched as the other troopers slowly retreated back into the LAAT, but not before he caught a glance of Jay in the cockpit. His emotions hidden by his helmet, however he could see the shaking in his hands and hear a low whimper escape his comlink as Jay caught sight of Tag's lifeless body.

There was no time to retrieve his body.

The cost of a LAAT for a single dead clone wasn't enough for the Republic.

"We're all onboard Lieutenant!" One of the troopers cried out as it took Jay a moment react before he threw the LAAT into full speed and raced off from the landing pad.

Relay's eyes watched as Tag's body got smaller and smaller, until finally the blast doors closed and he was left alone.

"I promised you," Relay muttered lowly.


End file.
